Girls are Lucky
by actionman81
Summary: Olivia Benson receives a doll for her 6th birthday, but her playtime scenarios trouble her mother, Serena


November 8, 2002

"I had lots of dolls but never ones as nice as yours" Olivia Benson tried earnestly to quell Terry Jessup by befriending him, at George Huang's advice.

September 24, 2018

Six year old Noah Benson bashed his metal cars together on the coffee table while his adoptive mother, Olivia, did her best to read on her tablet.  
"Vroom!" Noah rammed the cars together again.  
"Noah, could play with something else, or maybe play quietly"  
"Ok" Noah held one car up in the air and "flew" it in a wide arc.  
The doorbell rang, and Olivia looked up, "Noah, did you invite anyone over?"  
"Nope" Noah didn't look up from his cars  
Olivia answered the door and was pleased to see her colleague and friend behind it.  
"Fin" she welcomed him inside the apartment, "What brings you by?" she glanced over to Noah to make sure he wasn't paying attention, "Work?"  
"No, not this time" he grinned, "I know somebody's not really into the idea of starting the big grades this year" he smiled at Noah. With that, Fin pulled a small package out of his jacket.  
"Fin, you really didn't" Olivia sighed and shook her head side to side.  
"Wow, thanks Uncle Fin!" Noah leapt up and snatched the package away from him. Within moments, the wrapping paper was torn asunder, and Noah stared in confusion at the gift.  
"Boys don't play with dolls" he wrinkled his nose at the Black Panther toy.  
"Hey, I had dolls" Fin laughed  
"You did?" Noah looked at him in awe  
"Sure, G. , Batman-" Fin began  
"Batman's an action figure. And he's for boys. Girls don't like him- and anyway, boys don't play with dolls"  
Fin chuckled, "I remember a conversation like this"  
"Mommy, who's G. ?"  
Olivia wasn't looking at her son, or Fin. Her mind was already lost in another memory,

February 13, 1974

"Happy Birthday, Olivia" her friends shouted with glee. Young Olivia took a deep breath and blew out her candles. All six candles went out with one blow. Her friends clapped and cheered.  
One by one, the presents were opened. Modeling clay, crayons, three different coloring books, and a pair of girl's Toughskins jeans. Olivia was thrilled, and thanked her kindergarten friends. But the best gift was a Talking Busy Ken doll. Olivia's friend had downcast eyes when Liv opened the wrapping to reveal a slightly misshapen box that smelled vaguely of mildew. "My Mommy said it was a fire sale" she repeated without understanding.  
"Oh, I love him" Olivia beamed. She had other similar toys, including a Malibu Barbie, Barbie's very own Sweet Dreams pajamas, and a dress called The Long View, apparently because as her mother noted, "Nice girls don't wear short dresses. It makes men stare"

When she played, Olivia liked brushing Barbie's long blonde hair and liked dressing Barbie in her clothes. Most of all, Olivia liked having Barbie go on adventures with her.  
Now, she could take Barbie and Ken on adventures. Oh, what a wonderful birthday it was!

A few days later, Olivia set Barbie and Ken out to go to the beach. Of course, she'd never really been to the beach herself, but a towel on the floor made a good impromptu "sand" and the light that streamed in from outside her bedroom window was in fact, the sun.  
"It's a lovely day" she danced the dolls across the towel-sand. She pulled on Ken's pull string  
"Hi, this is Ken" the garbled voice box spoke.

"Oh Ken" Olivia spoke for Barbie, "You say the sweetest things" she repeated dialogue she'd heard on a TV show that her mother, Serena Benson, had seen earlier.  
"I know" Olivia went on, speaking for her dolls, "Let's dance!" the little girl turned on the transistor radio that stood on her battered dresser. Suddenly, Abba's "Waterloo" blasted into the room Olivia danced her dolls along the floor and sang along  
"Wagadoo, waga-waga-waga-wagadoo" she butchered the lyrics, but had such a wonderful time that the words didn't really matter. She had such a good time that she didn't hear the footsteps outside her bedroom.  
"Hey" Serena entered the room with loud footfalls and snapped off the radio brusquly.

Olivia had learned to tell time, and she could see from the cracked clock on her wall that it was almost nine in the morning.  
"Oh Mommy" she smiled, "You're awake. I was just playing" she looked back at the clock momentarily, "Can we have breakfast now? I'm hungry"

Serena glanced from her daughter to the toys on the floor.  
"Men" she scoffed, "nothing but trouble" she kicked at the Ken doll. It rolled over on the scratched flooring. With that, she left her daughter's bedroom.  
Olivia knew it wasn't going to be a good morning after all.


End file.
